Make A New Year’s Revolution

Jan. 4, 2012 — amanda

Welcome back to school GSA members! The end of one year and the beginning of a new one can be a good time to pause and reflect. We can take a moment to look back on our previous year and decide what we want to build in our next year. For GSAs, this is a great time to think about what you want to do for the rest of your school year.

A lot of people start off the New Year with resolutions. For your GSA, this could be:

Get more members

Write a mission statement

Make a meeting calendar

Elect new officers

At GSA Network, we think these resolutions are great. And we encourage GSAs to make a New Year’s revolution. So, what is a revolution exactly?

Revolutions start with a few dedicated people and make lasting change.

On the first page of the checklist, you’ll see our Safe School House. This house has three important pieces: the foundation, known as school policies, the walls, which are teachers and staff, and the roof, which is the students. Developing tactics targeted at each piece of the house is crucial in building a safe school. You will probably have to research the checklist items to make yourself more familiar with the policies, staff and students at your school.

Once you have your checklist filled out, talk with your GSA about which boxes are left blank and which ones you want to check off. Then, start developing your strategies for change! You can use GSA Network’s resource on Developing a Strategy to walk you through each step of your campaign including how to identify your allies, resources and intended impacts.

Don’t be discouraged if you meet resistance. The greatest revolutionaries of our time, including Gandhi, Sylvia Rivera, Martin Luther King, Jr., Bayard Rustin and Harvey Milk, faced many challenges and didn’t give up. Remember to ask for help from your GSA members, peers and adult allies. The change you seek is possible!